The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-10-26
THE MANDOLIN.
A Pleasing Italian Musical Instrument
that Is just Now in Fashion.

The mandolin is the rcignine fash
jonable caprice, having quite superseded
the banjo in the esteem of the ladies.
That it should have done so IS by no
means strange. for it Is really :: charm
ing little instrument when at al de-
Gently played, is not very difficult 10
learn, and has good deal more s;yie
and finish about it than the banjo has.
However the latter may be adorned
with nickel-plating, mother-o!-2eaf!,
and all sorts of gaudy ornalnentation,
it has :, plebcian look about it and suS-
cc5ts the idea of field-hand in bis
Sunday suit.
The only unpleasant feature about t
to the learner is the knife-blade-Iike
sharpness of its fine wire strings. There
are eight strings, in pairs, all OF steci
wire. Two pairs are wound with Ger
man silver, and are not so cruel rs the
others, but unwound four, hardly thicker
than horse hairs, seem to cut to the
bone the finger ends that press them
down upon the frets. OF course that
pain and trouble ends when each
finger of the left hand is tipped with .
bo1y, callous spot, and one must expect
some such trouble in forming close
acquaintance with any stringed instru-
mcnt. When nature has provided that
protection. the mandolin player, If an
expert, can produce some very pleasing
effect: by producing the tones by per-
cussion on the strings over the IretS,
instead of by strumming with 4 bit OF
tortoise shell held between the thumb
and forefnger Of the right hand, which
is the ordinary way Of playing.
The Spanish mandola is much Ike
the Italian mandolin in its gen
eral features, but has important
differences from it nevertheless. Its
body is shallower, shaped more like the
bowl of spoon than the half OF an egg
divided lengthwise, which is the form
of the instrument beloved in Naples
and Rome; it's strings are OF catgut in
stead of steel, and its tone IS not so
sharp and incisive. Either mandola or
mandolin, however, has a surprising
volume of sound for so small body,
and dominates pleasingly the tones OF
4 guitar, or even those Of piano.
Expert players have = way OF main
tanning an increasing tremolando bg
keeping the little instrument in con-
stantly quivering motion while they are
executing solo, that at least looks rs
if it would be rather hard to effect and
harder yet to continue for any length OF
time, but the lcngthening OF vibrations
thus achieved prettily supplies the lack
of a supporting instrument. The power
of controlling the volume OF sound IN q
crescendo or dlminuendo possessed by .
skillful performer is really surprising
and extremely effective in rendition ol
the peculiar passionate and sensuouS
music TO which the mandolin IS best
adapted.
While the mandolin is easy to learn,
up to a certain point, it IS. like all
seemingly simple instruments, very
difficult to develop to its highest artistic
capabilities, and the Italian who has
achieved complete mastery Of it not
only very justly respects himseil highly
but is even respected in an extraordinary
degree by his countrymen. The best
| OllNSIS arc SiIil w COILlC 4IOiAt -''S D1N'7'
where native who does not at least
think that he can play upon the man,
dol:n is Il curiosity. Here in New York
we have not many who descr:edly raak
high as experts. Prof. Dominica LIP
| aldi is regarded rs g very correct ano
artistic performer, but in expression and
delicacy ot tone shading Signor + ).
Errlco, vino is proprietor OF an Italian
art and curiosity store in John street,
and only IN amateur mandolinist, j;
deemed by critics the most finished
artist here. But inferior players lind
as much employment as the? want III
teaching the mandolin TO the young
men and women Of Gotnams upper
ten" and from present indications the
instrument will be the rage when fash
ion returns to the town with the earl!
frosts.
! good mandolin costs from S23 tc
$50, and all procurable here are in
ported from Naples.-N T. Snn.